Tile-coating machine.



I'. C. ELLISON. TILE GOATING MACHINE.

APPLIOATION FILED 00T. 27, 1913.

Patented Mar. 2,- 1915.

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Y C. ELLISON.

TILE COATING MACHINE.

APPLIGATION FILED ocT. 27, 1913.

Patented Mar. 2, .1915.

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NiTED sTATEs PATENT carica.

FREDERICK C. ELLISON, 0F PERTH AMBOY, NEW`JERSY, ASSIGNOR 0F ONE-HALF T0 WILLIAM H. PEACH, OF ZANESVILLE, OHIO.

TILE-COATING MACHINE.

Specification of Letters Patent. l

Patented Mar. 2, 1915.

Application led October 27, 1913. Serial No. 797,583.

' and State of New Jersey, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Tile- Coating Machines, of which the following is a specification.

This invention has reference to improvements iii machines for coating tiles, and is designed tov provide a machine which will closely simulate the operation of hand coat- In accordance with the present invention thereis provided means whereby the tiles are presented to the dipping machine in a cleaned condition and are then picked up successively by devices-arranged to be attached to the tiles by atmospheric pressure, and in this condition are carried through the coating tank face downwardly. after which the tiles are deposited face upwardly arms and its support.

upon a suitable conveyor by which they are carried between fettling devices which remore the coating from the. edges of the tile.

The invention will be best understood from a consideration of the following de! tailed description taken in connection with the accompanying drawings forming a part of this. specilication withtlie further understanding that while the drawings show a practical form of the invention, the latter is not confined to any" strict conformity with the showing of the drawings', but may be changed and modified so long assuch changes and modifications mark no material departure fiom the salient features of the invention.

ln the drawings :-Figure l is a plan view of the machine embodying the present invention. Fig. 2 is a section on lthe line 2-2 of Fig. l but drawn on a' larger scale. Fig. 3 is a section on the line 3-3 of Fig. 2, omitting the pneumatic tile carrying arms. Fig. `l is a detail section on the line 4 4. of Fig. l drawn on a larger scale and showing the parts in a somewhat different position from the disclosure of Fig. l. Fig. 5 is a. fragmentary section on the line 5 5 of Fig. l and drawn on a larger scale. Fig. 6 is a. fragmentary section on the line 6-6 of Fig. 1. Fig. 7 a detailed section through a portion of one of the pneumatic tile-carrying Referring. to the drawings there is shown a plate 1 which may be in the form of a casting, or may be constructed in any suitable manner, this plate being supported upon legs 2 or otherwise. Extending about the plate 1 concentric therewith is a segmental table 3, and connected at lone end to the corresponding end of the table 3 is a segmental tank 4 also concentric with the plate 1, the y table 3 and tank 4 being curved on siibstantially the same radius about the center of the plate 1.

Mounted centrally of the plate l is a' hollow frusto-conical post 5 inclosing a chamber 6 `with which there communicates a pipe or duct 7 shown in the drawings as extendingbelow the plate 1- and communicating with the chamber 6 through the/center of the plate 1. The-post 5 is provided with' a basic portion 8'from which outstands a flange 9 by means of which the post 5 is attached to the plate l by bolts l10 or in any other suitable way. The upright wallsof the post 5 are pierced by a slot 11 which may include more than half the circumference of the post for a purpose which will hereinafter appear. Firected on the post 5 is a stem 12 having a Journal bearin 13 at its upper end for a shaft 14- carrying a bevel pinion 15 at one end of the journal bearing 13, while a set colla-r* 16 on the shaft 14`at the other end of the bearing prevents lengthwise movement of the shaft. Mounted on the shaft 14 is a pulley 17 by means of which power may be applied to the shaft to rotate it.

Mounted on the frusto-coiiical post 5 is a frusto-c'onical sleeve 18 having a cap -portion 19 adaptedv to the top ofthe post and traversed by the stem 12, while formedon this cap portion is a gear wheel 20 meshing with a pinion 15. The wider or lower edge of the shell 18 extends to the base 8 and the shell covers the slot 11 in the post 5. The shell 18 is formed or has attached thereto coincident with the slot l1 a circular series of nipples 21 each communicating with -the interior of the shell by a passageway 22, the nipples extending radially upward from the shell with respect to the axis of rotation of the shell on the post 5, such rotation being brought about by power applied to the shaft 14 and the gear connections 15 receiving the flanged end 26rd a short hol low shalt 25, there being interposed be= tween the danged end 2t ot the shaft 25 and the'outer end of the corresponding nip ple a packing washer 26 which may be held by the gland in a manner substantially 'air tight, but at the same time notintertering with the turning of the shaft 25 1n a manner to be described. 'll`he shaft 25 has thereon between the ends a gear Wheel 27, while. at the outer endof each shaft there is applied a flexible tube 28 uot'psuitable material, say, tlexible metalor rubber hose, and received by the outer end ot each tlexible member 28 is one end of a tubular arm 29 terminating in a head 30 composed of oppositely directed hollow arms each ending in an extended )ortion 3l open on 'the side or face remote 'rom the head 30 where connecting to the arm 29 and the extensions 3l, which are arranged in parallelism in the general direction of the length of the arm 29, have their open faces iii substantially one plane and the whole head is in communication with the chamber 6 through the arm 29, dexible connection 28, hollow shaft 25 and respective nipple 21 except when the passages 22 are,

blanked or closed by the gate portion of the post 5 between the ends ot' the slot 1l.

Mounted on the plate l concentric with the post 5 and. exterior to the lugs 9, is a ring 32 having lugs 33 by means of which it' may beliastened to the plate, and at an appropriate portion of the ring 32 it is provided with 'a series ot' gear teeth 3d arranged to be engaged by the gear wheelsor pinions`27 for a purpose which will hereinafter appear.

Concentric with and outside of the ring 32 is another ring 35 having its upper edge formed with a cam elevation 36 and cam de- I pressions 37 for a purpose which will hereinat'ter appear. 'l`he ring 35 is so arranged as to support the arms 29- and cause them to rise and fall as the shell 18 is rotated, and these arms arevbrought into active relation to the cam elevation 36 or depressions 37, the rise and fall-of the arms being permitted by the flexible connections 28. 'llie weight ofthe arms is not wholly depended upon to cause their fall, but each arm has fast thereto one end of a flexible strand38, the other end of which carries a weight 39 and the strands are so located that they may travel outside but close to the outer margin of the plate l.

'l`he tank l contains a screen 40 at an 1ntermediate point of its depth, and between the screen and the bottom ofthe tank is an agitating member dl ovable vto and f ro in the tank as by a rocker tl@ to prevent liquid glazing material within the tank from settling,whi1e Vthe 'screen t6l prevents the agltating member tl from so affecting the surtace of the 'liquid coating material as to disnaciones turb auch surface by causing ripples or eddies or the like. 'llhe showing ot the agitator dl is only indicative for any other suitable agitating means adapted to the purpose may be used. 'll`lie liquid material is t'ed into the tank through an inlet pipe l2 and an overflow d3 serves to maintain the level ot liquid in the tank sensibly constant. l/vithiu the tank alcove the screen 4:0 and below the determined liquid level are rollers-lll, which,

because the tank is segmcntal,' may be arranged radial to the axis of generation or the tank. Y

ln the drawings the tiles aredesignated d5 and these tiles are fed to the tame 3 by means of a conveyer d6 having slats d? engaging the tiles to move them along a support 48, so that the tiles may be'placed upon l the support 4:8 and are caused to move along the same and ultimately to .and upon the table 3. 'l`o dentely locate the tiles upon c the table 3 ap roaehing guide arms 46 engage the tiles gust betere they are delivered unon the table 3, Wherefore the point ol delivery is predetermined.

Above and below `the support d8 are brushes 56, 5l connected together by gear wheels 52 so as to rotate in opposite directions, one above and the other 'below a tile prppelled along the support 48, the .brush 5l eing in part lodged in an opening 53 in the support t8,

' he conveyer 46 may be driven by a main drive shaft 5d receivin power by way-ot a belt pulley-55 mounted on the shaft or in any other suitable manner, while another pu ley 56 on the shaft 5t is utilized to drive a belt 57 extending to a pulley 58 on a prolongation of the shaftof the brush 50 and' another pulley 59 on the same shalt is utilized todrive a belt 60 extending to the pulley 117, it being understood that the several parts are properly proportioned to suitably time the operation to be described. 'lhereis also provided another conveyer 6l v properly related to the path of the arms 29 `ln tact, lthe particular construction ot the conveyers is not material to the present invention and other types of conveyors may be employed, those shown being suitable for the purpose and areto be taken has indicative of any suitable type ot conveyer. The frame ot the conveyor 6l carries approaching guide arms 67 designed to ylocate tiles placed upon. the conveyor, and the trame of the conveyer 6l carries at :inappropriate point guide' arms 68 similar l to the guide arms 6'? and d6. i

ias p 1.1.3.0.#8? f al Carried by the frame of the conveyer 61 are journal bearings 69 for a shaft 70 overriding the conveyer, and this shaft at appropriatepoints has disks 71 mounted thereon andeach disk has upon the face toward the'other a series of teeth or projections 72. The two disks are spaced apart sufficiently to permit the tile topass between them and are elastically held so as to yield somewhat to the passage of the tile. To' permit the yielding leach .disk 71 is mounted lon the shaft 70 to slide a short distance lengthwise thereof while the springs 73 on the shaft tend to force the disks one toward the other, but these springs are onlyrsuliciently strong to keep the disks in contact with the opposite edges of a tile passing between them without such pressure as would be harmful to the tile. The conveyer 65 adjacent to the discharge-end of the guide arms 68' has a shaft 74 mounted in journal bearings 75 carried by the frame of the conveyer', and on this shaft are disks 76 similar to the disks 71 and provided with teeth 77 similar to the teeth 72. The disks 76 are urged one toward the other by springs 78 like the springs 73 already described. t

The conveyer 61 is driven by 'a belt 79 coming from a pulley 80 on the shaft 54 and engaging a pulley 81 on a shaft 82 arranged to directly drive the conveyer 61. The shaft 82 carries a pulley 83 which by way of a belt 84 engaging a pulley 85 on the shaft 70 serves to drive the latter.

The conveyer 66 is driven by power applied to a pulley 86 mounted 0n a shaft 87 arranged to actuate the conveyer 64 and another shaft 88 driven by the conveyer 64 carries a pulley 89 driving a belt 90 carried about a pulley 91 mounted on the shaft 74.

The various driving arrangements are more or less indicative of any suitable driving arrangements for the moving parts and other forms of driving arrangements may be employed as desired.

llncoated tiles are placed' upon the support 48 and are successively carried between the brushes 50 and 51 and are thereby cleansed and are afterward deposited successively upon the table 3. At the same time the series of arms 29 rotate about the axis of the sleeve 18 at a suitable speed so that an arm 29 is brought into position above each tile as deposited upon the table 3. At this point a depression 37 in the cam ring 35 is reached by an arm .29 and thehead 30 is lowered by the action of the respective weight '39 until it encounters the tile 45 just previously deposited upon the table 3. Just before this position of the arm 29 is reached` .it is placed in communication with the 111-' terior of the post where subatmospheric pressure exists by the opening 22 coming into lthe range of the slot 11. Subatmospheric pressure is thereby thus established in the head 30and the extensions 31 of the head 30 being brought into engagement with the tile, the suction immediately attaches the tile to the arms of the head 30 so that the tile is compelled to travel with and is supported by said extensions of the head 30 of the respective. arm 29. The continued movement of the arm 29 causes it to leave the depression 37 under consideration and travel along a higher part of the ring 35, thus lifting the tile from the table 3. As the arm l29 under consideration is moved along the cam ring 35 it lultimately reaches a depression 37 which occurs adjacent to the tank 4 and in line with a roller 44, so that the tile is lowered into the liquid within the brought to a second depression 37 still withinthe range of the tank 4 and the tile is again dipped into the liquid in the tank and Athe depth of dipping is determined by a second roller 44. The number of dippings and the number of depth-limiting rollers may be a's many as desired and the number of'rollers and dippings is not of necessity limited to two. After the tank has been passed the arm 29 under consideration then reaching the conveyer the gear wheel or pinion 27 of the arm engages the rack teeth 34 and the number yof these teeth is suflicient to cause a rotation of the arm with the tile to an extent to invert the tile, the cord or strand 38 being correspondingly wound upon the arm and the weight 39 correspondingly lifted. The arrangement is such that by the time the tile is nearly inverted, whereby the coated face is uppermost, the opening through the shell 18 belonging to the arm 29 under consideration is brought to the gate portion of the stem 5, and a passage 23a in the gland 23, and open to the atmosphere, is reached by a passage 24a in the flange 24, so thatnorma-l atmospheric conditions are restored and the tile isnojlonger held to the head 30 and readily gravitates on to the conveyer 61. The parts are timed in operation to cause the escape of the tile from the arm, so as to move into the path of abar or flight 63 of the conveyer, the tile resting upon the support 62.l The coated tile thus deposited upon the support 62 is moved until the arms 67 direct it between the disks or heads 71 and these being continuously rotated serve to remove any of the coating of the tile along the edges represented toward said heads or disks, the heads or disks thus becoming fettling heads or disks. The coated tile thus cleansed along two opposite edges is ultimately move-,dio the end. of the, @enrayer 6.1..,

'approaches the conveyer 61, but just before vio from the machine.

The operation of the machine as a whole is of course continuous, the uncoated tiles being'fed to the machine at an appropriate point and the operations of dipping and fettling following, while the dipping simulates very closely the desirable hand dipping.

Most tiles are rectangular, but in case of tiles of other shapes the apparatus is readily changed to correspond.

The device has been described as a tile dipping machine, but it will be understood that the structure is not of necessity limited to such specific use, for it is adapted to other structures than tiles and hence throughout this case the word tile is to be understood as indicating any object other than a tile to which the machine is adapted.

l/Vhat is claimed is l. lin a machine for the purpose described,

vpneumatic means for supportingak tile,.said

pneumatic means including a suction head and air exhaust means communicating therewith, a liquid container, and means for mov- .ing the 'pneumatic' means in, a direction to dip the tiles carried thereby into liquid in the container.

2. ln a machine for the purpose described, pneumatic means constructed to engage and transport tiles, lsaid pneumatic means including a suction head and air exhaust means communicating therewith, a dipping tank in the path of tiles carried by the pneumatic means, means for moving the pneumatic carrying means in a direction to dip the tiles face downwardly in liquid in the dipping tank, and means associated with the pneumatic meansl for releasing the dipped tiles with the dipped face uppermost.

3. In a machine for the purpose described, a rotatable series of hollow arms mounted for individual up and down movement, each arm terminating at one end in a suction head and at the other end `communicating in common with the other arms with an air suction means, means for raising and lowering the armsa receptacle for fluid into which the tiles are to be dipped arranged in the path of tiles carried by the heads of the arms, and means for inverting the tiles after dipping and then causing their release from-\the suction heads.

4. ln a machine for the purpose described, a rotatable vseries of hollow arms each terminating in a suction head and each arm 1 beinglarranged for communication with air suction meanswduring a portion of the rotative movement, a support for tiles 1n the pathof the arms, a dipping tank in the path of the arms, means for causing movement of the arms toward ,and from the tile support and toward and from the dipping tank, and means associated with the arms for causing each arm to move in a direction to invert the dipped tile carried thereby and to then release the tile from the arm.

5. ln a machine for the'purpose described, a supporting member, a hollow post mounted thereon andprovided with an extended passage defining a gate between the ends of the passage, a sleeve mounted to rotate on thepost, a` lseries of flexibly mounted hollow arms carried by thevsleeve and opening to Vthe interior thereof, each arm terminating at the end remote from the sleeve in a suction head, a weight carried by each arm with connections thereto capable of being wound on the arm, a support for the series of arms arranged in the path thereof to cause up and down movements of the arms, and means for causing av partial rotation of each arm at a predetermined point in the travel thereof.

6. lln a machine for the purpose described, a supporting member, a hollow post mounted thereon and provided with an extended passage defining a gate between the ends of the passage, a sleeve mounted to rotate on the post, a series offiexibly mounted hollow arms carried by the sleeve and opening to 'the interior thereof, each arm terminating atthe end remote from the sleeve in a suction head, a weight carried byeach arm with connections thereto capable of being wound on the arm, a support for the series of arms arranged in the path thereof to cause up and down movements of the arms, and means for causing a partial rotation of each arm at a predetermined point in the travel thereof, said last named means including a gear pinion on each arm and gear teeth in the path of the pinion at predetermined points in the travel of theA arm.

7. ln a mach-ine for the purpose described, a supporting member, a hollow post mounted thereon and provided with an extended passage dening a gate between the endsy of the passage, a sleeve mounted to rotate on the post, a series of flexibly mounted hollow arms carried by the sleeve and opening to the interior thereof, each arm terminating at the end remote from the sleeve in a -suction head, a weight carried by each arm with connections thereto capable of being wound on the arm, a support for the series of arms.

arranged in' the path thereof to cause up and down movements of the arms, and means for causing a partial rotation of each arm at a predetermined point in the travel thereof, said last named means including a gear pinion on each arm and gear teeth i yin the path of the pinion at predetermined points in the travel 'of the arm, and the post and .sleeve being provided wlth interconnecting driving'means for the sleeve.

8. In a machine for the purpose de-l scribed, a rotatable series of iexibly mounted arms each terminating in a suction head, and a dipping tank in the path of the arms, said dippmg tank being provlded at predetermined points'with rollers locatedn below the normal level of liquid in the tank and in the path of tiles carried by the suction heads.

` 9. In a machine for the purpose described, a rotatable series of suction arms each terminating in the suction head, a support for tiles in the path of the 4suction heads, a dipping tank in the path of tiles carried by the suction head, means for rotating each arm after leaving the dipping tank to invert thelk tile carried by the suction head thereof, and means for cutting off the suction from the arm on the inversion of the tile carried thereby.

10. In a machine for4 the purpose described, a rotatable series of suction arms each terminating in the suction head, a support for tiles in the path of the suction heads, a dipping tank in the path of tiles carried by the suction head, means for rotating each arm after leaving the dipping tank to invert the tile carried by the suction head thereof, and means. for cutting ofi' the suction from the arm on the inversion of the tile carried thereby, said arm being provided with means operative in opposition to the means for rotating the arm to invert the tile, for returning the arm to its first position. ..2

11. In a /machine for the purpose de'- scribed, a tile receiving member, meansfor feeding tiles successively thereto, means associated with the feeding means for cleaningy the tiles before reaching the tile receiving means, pneumatic means. for engaging the tiles when deposited on the b'le receptacle, a dipping tank associated wi .h the neumatic tile engaging means, means for imparting rotative movement to the pneumatic tile engaging means for transporting the tiles over and dipping them into the dipping tank, means for receiving the tiles from the pneumatic means after dipping, and transporting them away from the oint of reception, and fet'tling means associated/with the last-named transporting means for removing the coating 'received in dipping from the edges ofthe tile, all the parts being associated to operate automatically and in succession on the tile to me- 'I chanically produce a coating thereupon.

12. In a machine for the purpose described, means for dipping tiles into a coating liquid, and means for removing coating from the edg prising rotatable fettling heads associated to engage the tiles on opposite edges.

13. In a machine for. the purpose described, means for dipping tiles'into a coating liquid, and'means for removing coating from the edges vof the coated tile comprising rotatable 'fettling heads associated to engagev the tiles on opposite edges,` said fettling means having guide arms associated therewith for directing tiles approaching the fettling means into operative relation thereto.

14. In a machine for the purpose described, means for dipping tiles into a coating liquid, and means for removing coating from the edges of the coated tile comprising rotatable fettling heads associated to engage the tiles on opposite edges, said fettling means having guide arms associated therewith for directing tiles approaching the fettling means into operative relation thereto, and said fettling means being yieldable to the passage of a tile between them.

15. In a machine lfor the purpose described, means .for depositing tiles successively in a predetermined position, means for taking up the tiles one by one and carrying them away from the point of deposition, a dipping tank in the path of the tile .carrying means, means associated with the tile carrying means for causing each tile to be lowered into the dipping tank and removed therefrom, means associated with the tile dipping means for depositing each tile with the dipped face upwardly after dipping, and means for removing the coating from the edges of the tiles, all the parts bees of the coated tile comf ing associated and driven to automatically Aact upon each tile in the order nanrd-to mechanically produce a coating thereupon. l

In testimony whereof I aiiix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

FREDERICK C. ELLISON. Witnesses:

H. W. I-IANsoN, EDW. COLLINS. 

